" 46 Nevertheless, the first is, not that which is spiritual, but that which is physical, afterward that which is spiritual." See that? FIRST is the physical, and THEN is the spiritual. Two phases to the resurrection.
JCanon,
Just a simple fact. It has nothing to do with phases. What you are not seeing is the doctrine behind this response or in this case the letter to which Paul is responding. He had to tackle some astrological views that were offered to him and refute them. You can tell this by the words he used which point to this exact place in their letter that contains such views and by the way he has handled their material thus far. There is no other reason to say things like: 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
You may have heard things like we become a star when we pass away or are otherwise involved with such celestial bodies personally. This was going on then just as it still is today. So Paul had to deflect such views and point in a different direction by absorbing their words and saying: 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Now the word spiritual can mean nearly anything like the promise of or a resurrection by God, but in this case as an immoral and incorrupt not a mortal or corrupt human being. This new reality called spiritual would be patterned after the body Christ had when he returns which we know is an immortal human one.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
This image will still be human (ADAM) as proven here but immortal. A quickening spirit or life giving spirit is simply a functional term or description of the last human (ADAM) doing it not some proof of nature since we know that the nature of this Adam will be human not astrologically based when he returns. Christ will leave what here is called heaven in order to do this. As long as we once lived and qualified to be raised we will now bear the immortal human image of the one having authority to make us so, the heavenly one which is what heavenly means really.
Everyone seems to insist on reading magical things into texts that are simply down to earth and humanly recognizable but are being given to people who’s minds were still filled with astrological assumptions that had to be taken out.
Joseph